Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-10-08
SOLID FOR DIVISION.
Enthusiastic and Harmonious
Convention.
Democrats and Republicans
Come Together,
And. Make Common Cause for
Dakota's Division.
A Stirring Address to the Peo-
pie of the North.
Congressional Relief Asked for
Dakota Settlers.

chairman, and Il. j. Mcmahon OF Steele
secretary.
Geo. F. Bowers of Trail and Judge I.
E. West and Hon. D. H. Towmey of
Cass were chosen as n committee on
credentials.
At the afternoon session the organi-
cation was perfected and a local COM
mittee of three was chosen from each
county i'll the north. The committees
in this immediate region are as follows:
Benson-J., F. Richmond, J. NJ. Cub.
bison, r. r. Wise.
Walsh-W. A. Cleland, H. P. Halver-
son, w. D. Bates.
Grand Forks-H. P. Ruclker, George
H. Walsh, G. D. Lay.
McHenry-J. NJ. Pendroy, Robert
Fox, VIM. Pitts.
Nelson-H. K. Stearns, jeff N. Myers
NJ. N. johnson.
Ward-M. Mcclure, Dr.. Belyea, Dun.
can Morris.
Towner-J. w. Hardee, r. w Main,
H. w. Dickinson.
R0ette-J. D. Eaton, P. T. Metler,
". i. T. dSlioi.
Bottineau-J.P P. Hager, NJ o. Tibbits,
A. Thompson.
Ramsey-D. w. Ensign, G. A. Currier,
A. J. Stade.
An executive committee of one from
each legislative district was chosen, as
follows:
Fifteenth-Fred Falley.
Sixteenth-C. L. Clement.
Seyenteenth-Waldo NJ. Potter.
Eighteenth-George E. Bowers.
Nineteenth-W. N. Roach.
Twentieth-E. o. Faulkner.
Twenty. first-F. A. Wardwell.
Observation-Disclosures Nickeus.
'Twenty-third-Thos. F. Campbell.
These committees are to have charge
of and to conduct the campaign under
the direction Of a sub executive COM
mittee consisting Of G.. T. Clement, Chas.
A. Pollock and Attorney Francis, whose
home and headquarters are at Fargo.
The following committee was chosen
to formulate an address to the people
of North Dakota Waldo NJ. Potter,
LaMoure; H. G. Hansbrough, Ramsey;
Fred Falley, Richland; Judge Hudson,
Cass; J.. G. Warnock, Stutsman.
The report of the committee on address
was unanimously adopted and is as fol-
lows:
To the Voters of North Dakota: Pur-
suant to law an election is to be held on
the coming eighth of November to take
the sense of the people of Dakota as to
a division of the territory ''upon an east
and west line upon the seventh standard
parallel" The ballot to be cast must
haye either written or printed thereon,
For Division" or against Division
Returns OF the vote are to be made as at
general election, and the result in tho
territory at large is to be communicated
by the Governor to the President and
Congress of the United States.
We are thus confronted with an issueia
which every citizen of Dakota has q deep
interest-not only for himself alone, but
for all who shall come after him. Shall
this vast section of the northwest, em-
bracing an area of 100000 square miles,
become and remain forever one state in
the Union, with only two votes in the
United States senate? Or, shall it DO di-
vided into two territories, and be ulti-
mately admitted as two states, with four
NOOSoS ~ xN9 xO1 IN DkOI0CGlOII
OF northwestern interests? This is the
issue on which every voter is asked to
express his opinion at the ballot box.
If the people of Dakota are themselves
willing to abdicate their rights, and to
accept W senators as against TWENTY
W from an equal area in the east, lem
bracing all New England, New York,
possibility for such a disgraceful sur
render will be all their own. Butifthe
are unwilling to go into the Union thus
shorn of their rightful power, they have
but TO speak in the thunder tone Of their
half million of voices to be heard and
needed at the capital of the nation.
But vitality important and far-reaching
as is the question of additional senators
whose vote may seal the fate of policies
affecting the northwest, there are many
other considerations, scarcely less potent
which render division a necessity. Wo
are all interested in securing IN intel
ligent, honest and economical admins
tration OF public affairs; but there is
good reason to doubt whether such a
ritory under our Republican forms.
In Dakota the people practically have
no voice in territorial conventions; the
distances are SO great that large sections
are not represented by delegates in
person, but proxies, furnished to order,
enable sharp managers to control NOM
nations: Legislators, also, are SO far
removed from the people as TO weaken
the sense of responsibility; when section
al ~jealousies make a bear garden of the
halls of legislation, of which advantage
is taken by lobbyists to defeat prom
ised reforms, and secure unright-
eous laws. The history of Dakota
legislation is a record Of sectional in
trigues, crude laws, shameful ~profigacy
and defiance otthe popular will. The OBJ
vious remedy is to reduce the area by
division; cut off the sectional feuds; bring
the government nearer to the people
and stop the log rolling of twin sets of
public institutions to reach the very bot
tom OF the trasury. Besides, official rec
ords disclose the fact that very large
states are more expensive to govern than
smaller ones. the rule being the smaller
the state the lower the tax, which may
be accepted as proof that Dakota, divid-
ed into two states, will be more cheaply
governed than as one. ~
In addition to these considerations.
which affect both sections equally. there
are others which may we'll induce the
people Of North Dakota to give a solid
vote for division. The territorial capital
Is now located north OF the proposed line
Of separation, while the voting power OF
the territory, by an overwhelming ma.
jority, Is found south Of that line The
outh IL largely for division, and If the